


Leave You With Something Warm

by MadameMayorRM



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, Original Character(s), Post 3a, Post-Neverland
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-07
Updated: 2017-06-11
Packaged: 2018-08-13 18:57:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7982575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadameMayorRM/pseuds/MadameMayorRM
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The citizens of Storybrooke awaken in their beds... but they had just been in the Enchanted Forest moments ago.  Snow is pregnant and not only that, she has a new baby in her arms.  Regina is inexplicably drawn to the child but her first order of business is finding Henry... and Emma.  This SwanQueen Story is set post Neverland and is canon divergent.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing by my ideas and thoughts. The characters associated with OUAT belong to their creators and I am merely borrowing them for our entertainment.
> 
> A/N: It is essential that you know this story will be in chronological order only in the "Present Day" portions. Anything that is a flashback will happened randomly to reveal info you need at the time. It sort of mirrors the show in that regard.
> 
> I had no plans to write anything new but this story was in me and had to come out. I hope you like it. It is already making me happy.
> 
> The story title is derived from a song by Fleetwood Mac called Storms. Please look it up on youtube. The original studio version is best. I adore the song and have always felt Regina between the lines since I found she existed.
> 
> Thank you to Jenn for cheering me along and helping me sort through some ideas.

Regina stretched like a cat sunning itself and snuggled down into her soft bed. She pulled the downy comforter around her and sighed. She loved mornings in Storybrooke.

_Storybrooke?_

She shot up in the bed and opened her eyes. Throwing back the covers, she saw she was dressed in her gray silk pajamas. She jumped up and ran across the plush carpet to her window, throwing back the curtain. Her fingers tugged lightly at her newly short again hair.

She was back in her Mifflin Street home… but how?

"Henry…" she said aloud into the quietness of morning, running toward his bedroom. Maybe it had all been a dream. A terrible, awful dream.

"Henry?" She queried again, pushing open his door. His bed was empty and there was no sign of him. She immediately deflated.

But wait! If it had been a dream, he wouldn't be here in his room anyway. He'd be with Emma at the loft. She dashed back into her sanctuary and reached for the phone, intending to call Emma. But the phone began to ring in her hand.

"Henry?" She said into the extension on her bedside table.

"No… Regina, its Snow. They aren't here. I looked as soon as I woke up… just in case. But," the younger brunette's voice said she was on the verge of tears. "I guess it was real after all. I had hoped it was a nightmare."

Regina felt tears wetting her cheeks and she did nothing to stop them. "How are we back, Snow? I can't remember anything after they drove away. How long—"

Her words were cut off by the sound of a baby wailing in the background. Snow muffled the receiver with her hand and said something indistinguishable to David. Another moment, the crying was quieted and she was clear on the line again.

"Snow? Was that a baby crying? What's going on?" Regina's mind was awhirl with thoughts and her body began to feel a physical pain at the whimpering sounds in the distance.

"At first," Snow began. "At first, when we woke up, we thought maybe it was a dream. Then we thought maybe it was the next day and we somehow stayed in Storybrooke but now…"

Snow drifted off and Regina began to feel familiar irritation bubbling to the surface. Not to the level she would have anticipated, but irritation nonetheless. "Spit it out, _Snow White_." Regina said with frustration.

"I think it's best to show you. But I am sure we have been gone for a while. And how or why we are back, I can't say. But I definitely think… no, I know we have been gone for a long while." Snow said with conviction. "Please, come over as soon as you are dressed, okay?"

The line went dead and Regina looked at the receiver in shock. Had Snow just hung up on her? She replaced the handset in its cradle and walked gingerly to her closet to dress. Something was pushing her, an urgency not only to discover the reason for Snow's cryptic words, but also to find the source of the crying. Whose baby was that?

~ (SQ) ~

As soon as possible, Regina made her way to the loft. She considered using magic but she wasn't sure that was for the best until they knew more about the circumstances surrounding their return from the Enchanted Forest. Regina still couldn't understand how it was possible for them to be back.

That day, in the middle of the road leading out of Storybrooke, Regina had destroyed her curse and it was like hitting a reset button. The fairytale denizens of her make believe town were back in the places they belonged. Emma and Henry were back in the Land Without Magic-without magic, without memories… and without her.

She shook her head. This was no time to think about missing them. _Him. You miss him, Regina._ But her mind couldn't help but wonder if there was a way to bring them home too. As soon as she was able to assess the situation, they would do their best to figure out the next steps to bringing her son and his other mother back home.

Home.

She wasn't sure when Storybrooke had eclipsed the placed she was born and raised and ruled as home, but it had. This was home now and although she couldn't explain how they were here again, she was glad about it. This was where she wanted to be.

She climbed the stairs to the loft and before she could even reach the landing outside the small apartment she could hear the crying. A baby was wailing away and from the sound of it, nothing Snow nor David were doing seemed to help.

Raising a leather gloved hand, she rapped her knuckles on the door. She waited only a second before the door swung open and a very frazzled looking David invited her in. The apartment was just the same as always but for a few new additions—baby clothes, bottles, toys and a crib.

Snow was standing behind the counter trying in vain to soothe a child with golden blonde hair. The baby looked to be about six months old and wouldn't stop screaming. Suddenly, Regina knew what Snow had meant about how long they had been gone. If Snow had a six month old child already… had they been gone nearly a year and a half at least?

"Regina?" Snow's eyes were filled with tears. "Help me. I don't know what to do. You're the one with experience with babies." There was no malice in her words though they were both well aware that Snow's inexperience was because of Regina.

"I'll try," Regina said stepping toward the crying pair. "Come here, sweetheart." Regina reached for the baby.

Hearing her soft voice, the child turned wide brown eyes toward the source of the sound and reached out for her, crying all the more. Regina scooped the baby into her arms and drew circles softly along the small back, cooing and soothing.

"Shhh. There now. Let's stop that crying, sweetheart. It's ok. You're ok." Regina began to gently bounce as she paced about, whispering to the baby, her lips close to its tiny ear.

Snow watched in awe. For one, she had never seen this gentle side of Regina. She knew it existed, obviously. She had raised Henry to be a fine young man, almost entirely on her own, so Snow knew that there had to be a mothering side to the woman. But, other than her early memories of Regina before she became the Evil Queen, her experience with this part of her was limited.

But the younger brunette's awe was extended to a second observation as well. While she and David looked on, the baby against Regina's chest had stopped screaming for the first time since awakening and was nuzzling against her chest, gripping a handful of her soft silk shirt, rubbing it between tiny fingers.

Although the child wasn't asleep, still looking at Regina with alert brown eyes, the baby was quiet in her arms. Regina sat down on the small sofa and waited for the Charming idiots to join her. For the first time since arriving, she got a clear view of Snow, unobstructed by the baby or the island.

"Oh my god! Are you pregnant again?!" Regina didn't mean to sound so incredulous but the words came out before she could self-censor.

Standing before her, Snow smoothed a hand across her swollen abdomen. From the looks of things, Regina would've estimated she was about seven months along but she knew with this six month old in her arms, there was no way that was possible. Perhaps she was just one of those women who looked huge from the word go.

"This is why I said we must've been gone for quite a while. How can I have a baby this big _and_ be this pregnant again?" The brunette sat down next to Regina and smoothed her fingers across her baby's head. "I can't believe you just walked in here and calmed her down."

"Her?" Regina said, patting the girl on her diapered bottom softly when she began to fuss at Snow's unwanted touch.

The princess removed her hand and sighed forlornly, looking at David with sad eyes. He offered a comforting smile but it did little to ease the hurt on his wife's face as the baby seemed to reject her for Regina.

"Yes, her. It's a girl!" David said joyfully, trying to lighten the mood.

"What's her name?" Regina said, looking down at the baby who was now rubbing a lock of Regina's dark hair between her fingers.

By way of answering, Snow stood and made her way to the crib, lifting a blanket not unlike the one Emma treasured. Stitched in the corner, in purple thread was her name.

"Caroline." Regina whispered looking down at dark eyes that had begun to droop. The sleepy baby yawned and tugged gently on the strands of dark hair in her grasp. Regina couldn't stop looking at her. She was beautiful and innocent. And there was something about her that reminded her so much of Henry at this age. It made sense though. She was, after all, of the same bloodline as her son.

In a moment the child was asleep. Regina stood and padded softly to the crib and carefully laid the girl down. Her cherubic face was relaxed, her pouty lips forming a perfect circle as she searched for something to suckle in her sleep.

Almost as if by muscle memory, Regina gently touched the baby's lips with her pinky finger and instantly the child sucked the digit, rubbing it along her gums. A peace settled over them as the silence stretched on, only ever broken by the quiet sucking sound coming from the crib. Regina stood gazing lovingly at the baby. How could she already love the child? But she did. After a minute, Caroline released her grip on the finger and was sound asleep.

"How did you do that?" Snow asked.

Regina startled. She had forgotten the other woman—the child's _mother_ —was standing there. So intimate had been the feeling of caring for the baby, she had lost herself in the feeling of once more being needed, loved, wanted by a helpless creature.

Regina merely shrugged at Snow. "It was a trick I used with Henry. He wasn't really hungry, but he sucked out of habit. The magazines and books I read said I should give him a pacifier but I was afraid it would ruin the shape of his mouth so I would let him suckle my finger until the urge passed and then he was fine." She sat again on the little couch, smiling with pride. "He never did use a pacifier."

Snow stood for another moment looking down at her baby, wondering if she would ever be as natural and maternal as Regina seemed. How could a woman who had no mother worth speaking about… a woman who had spent most of her life in a violent rage hell-bent on revenge… how could she be so gentle, so good with children?

"Now, I think we need to talk about how we are here… and how we can get Emma and Henry home." Regina said, leaning forward, elbows on her knees. "I'm open to theories."

~ (SQ) ~

**_Six months ago… in the Enchanted Forest…_ **

"It's time." Doc said, nervously wringing his hands.

Regina rolled her eyes, looking at Snow. "Is there no one else who can do this?"

Snow shook her head and brushed aside damp, dark hair. "No. If we had more time perhaps Granny could come. She was a midwife in her village once. But I trust Doc. He delivered Emma."

"Emma?" The name fell softly from Regina's lips.

Snow nodded. This was the calm before the storm. The contractions were coming quick now, but it hadn't been time to push. But now… it was time. Snow knew the pain that was coming would be unbearable. She had endured childbirth in the Enchanted Forest before.

Offers to use magic to ease the pain, or remove it altogether were defiantly refused. This baby was going to be born without the aid of magic. Mother and child would not be influenced by outside forces. Snow knew deep down it was probably better this way. Regina was stubborn but still if pain was going to be endured, then it was, no matter how much magic was at their disposal.

"Where is David?" Snow asked looking around.

"He is fetching some things I need. I hadn't anticipated this would go as quickly as it did. I wasn't prepared." Doc shuffled around, pulling away the sheet that was the last vestige of modesty for the soon to be mother. She was wearing a long dressing gown but it was bunched up at her waist, exposing her to the room.

Regina pulled at the edge of the discarded sheet. "Is it really necessary to be so… exposed?" She said through gritted teeth.

Doc shrugged and shooed out all non-essential personnel. "Now, no one can see the new prince—or princess—enter the world but me. So everyone just calm down."

Regina squeezed Snow's hand and looked at her, hoping to find comfort in tired, green eyes. "Do you think it will be a boy or a girl?"

Snow felt hot tears stinging her eyes. She was so emotional about it all suddenly. "I don't know. But either way, this baby will be loved. And what is more important than that?"

Regina nodded and tears spilled from her eyes. Snow was right, of course. This baby would be loved… not only by her and the Charming's but everyone who met her.

_Her._

Somehow, Regina was sure this baby would be a girl.

Doc positioned himself at the foot of the bed, sitting on a low stool. "Alright, ladies. Let's get ready to push."

~ (SQ) ~

**_Present day Storybrooke…_ **

After several hours of hushed talking, the trio hadn't accomplished much. It was clear, they were all home, in Storybrooke. It was also clear that a good deal of time had passed, although they hadn't settled on just how long as yet. And all memories of that time frame had been locked away. Most of all, they knew some outside party had cast the curse.

"It wasn't possible for me to cast it." Regina said, rolling her eyes at the suspicious looks from the pair across from her. "The curse requires that you sacrifice the thing you love most. The thing I love most was here, in this world. So it wasn't me."

David nodded, realizing it was the truth. No one would deny that what Regina loved most of all, in any realm, was Henry. "So, who do you think did it?"

Snow rubbed at her temples. They had been going round and round this with no real answers. "We've been over this. It can't be Regina. It can't be Gold because he's dead. No one else knew the curse well enough to enact it and the written version of the spell was destroyed at the town line. This is just overwhelming."

A whimper sounded from the crib and both Regina and Snow sprang to their feet. Snow frowned slightly at Regina and the older woman sat down again. Soon enough, Snow was back in her place with Caroline in her arms.

"David, would you please make her a bottle? I'm sure she must be hungry." Snow imitated the way she had seen Regina soothe the girl, drawing circles on her back. Still, she whimpered against her mother's chest.

Regina ached to take the child into her arms. She knew it wasn't right. She was probably just trying to settle the hurt in her own heart at still being separated from her son. But she felt inexplicably drawn to the angel in Snow's arms who was now beginning to cry.

"Hurry, David. She's starting to cry again." Snow was nervous, and the child seemed to sense it and her crying intensified.

Regina inched closer to the mother and child, running her fingertips over the blonde fuzz on her head. "She will sense it if you are upset, Snow. Just relax. You've obviously done a good job with her up until now and once you regain your memories, everything will fall into place. Until then, just calm down."

Snow felt tears stinging her eyes. "I don't know if I can. What if I mess up? She doesn't… she doesn't like me." The younger woman was on the verge of a meltdown as David rushed over with the bottle he'd made, testing the temperature on the inside of his wrist.

"You aren't going to mess anything up." Regina continued to caress Caroline's small head, calming her. But now, she added her other hand to Snow White's shoulder trying hard to calm her too. "Besides, no matter what happens… this baby will be loved. And what is more important than that?"

Snow smiled through her tears and put the bottle up to Caroline's small mouth. She began to drink right away, one hand against the bottle and the other clutching Regina's finger. David sat on the other side of his wife and chanced to touch his daughter, hoping not to upset this delicate balance.

Anyone peering in on the scene would have been shocked by the sight. Former enemies, huddled together on the small, battered couch, all looking on with love and devotion at the tiny bundle cradled in Snow's arms. Perhaps they would be fighting again one day, but for now… they were a family and Caroline was the sun about which everything else was in orbit.

~ (SQ) ~

**_Back in the Enchanted Forest…_ **

She'd been pushing for so long, her body was exhausted. Maybe something was wrong? Maybe she should have used magic? She didn't want to push again. She wanted to sleep.

"No you don't. Open your eyes. Open your eyes and look at me." The voice by her ear cut through her pain addled mind. "I know you are tired and I know you don't want to, but you have to push. You have to. Please."

Doc was wringing his hands again. This wasn't how it had been with Emma at all. The delivery had been hard, of course, but she had come into the world without resistance. This baby seemed determined to stay put.

"I can't… I can't push anymore." She sobbed, ashamed of herself for sounding so weak.

A cool sensation fell across her head. Someone was wiping her head with a damp rag. She blessed them in her mind though she hadn't the strength to say it aloud.

"How long before David is back with help?" Another voice spoke into the room. Who was that? Was it Ruby?

"If she consents to coming, they should be able to get here rather quickly." Granny. That was definitely Granny.

"Ok, sweetheart. Let's try again. One big push, ok?" She felt a body behind her, lifting her up and encouraging her to push. So she did.

She pushed with all her might, bearing down and releasing a guttural scream. She felt the pressure but nothing changed. She began to cry, her throat raw from screaming out into the night.

"Is she going to make it? _Please…_ take her out of me. Don't worry about me. Save her. If I die, you will take care of her won't you?" She was becoming hysterical but the reality that one or both of their lives could be lost was clear to everyone.

"No one is dying today, your majesty." The Blue Fairy entered the room with a flourish, David along with her. She approached the bed and moved her hand over the swollen abdomen, noting the angry red lines running along it. "I believe I have arrived in the nick of time."

Under Doc's watchful eye, Blue pulled a bag out of thin air, by magic, and laid it on the soft mattress. She pulled out a number of items that made David wince and Granny gasp. Ruby shook her head. "Is this safe? I mean, we aren't in Storybrooke anymore. There's no one to call if this doesn't go right."

Blue didn't even look up from her labors. "Miss Lucas, we may no longer be in Storybrooke, but I have retained my memories. That, along with Doc's experience and my magic… will ensure that we don't lose anyone today. Have faith… or please go. We don't need negativity right now.

Ruby's mouth snapped shut. She had no choice, none of them did. They had to trust Blue knew what to do.

"I apologize in advance, your majesty. There isn't time for me to stem the pain naturally and at this point magic will do more harm than good. This will hurt horribly but you are strong. I know you can endure it. But please, whatever you do, do not push anymore." Blue was busy mixing several creams and powders in a small dish. Soon, she smeared the foul smelling green paste across the area where the baby seemed to be stuck.

David couldn't watch, he walked to the window and prayed to any god that would hear him for mercy. It felt strange to pray that for her. But as tears fell from his eyes, he knew it was the only thing he could ask for now.

A blood curdling scream told him all he needed to know.

Blue pulled the unearthly sharp blade across the place she had smeared her green paste. Red blood poured forth, painting her belly in a garish hue. Doc hurried about, mopping it up while the other three women held her down.

She had been exhausted moments ago, but the new pain brought a rush of adrenaline to the surface and she fought to be free.

"Let me go! Let me go! She's killing her!" She fought hard to free herself. She remembered other times, bound against her will. Time she'd fought for freedom, held down in this very bed by an uncaring and unmovable force.

"Shhh, it's almost over. Just another moment now." The voice of her lifelong enemy was oddly soothing in her ear. Though they were hardly foes anymore. Heartache made them strange bedfellows.

She felt tugging and movement in her belly and then, emptiness. There was a cacophony of sound. Cries of joy, glee and worry.

"She's perfect."

"Such a beautiful baby!"

"Why isn't she crying?"

"Blue? What's wrong? Do something!"

She was fading fast as the sounds continued about her, delirious with pain and exhaustion. "Caroline? Where is my darling, Caroline? Emma? Henry?"

"Oh my god!" A voice cried near her head. "Someone help her!"

And then, the world was black.

She felt herself coming back to consciousness, unaware of how long she was out, when she felt a weight on her chest and felt a suckling at her breast. There was an unthinkable pain in her stomach as she tried to move.

"There, now. Be still. Blue says you can hold her but you must be still. She was hungry so I guess she knew what to do on her own." Snow's voice was soft in the dim light.

"Snow? Is she… is she all right?" Regina couldn't see her properly from her prone position.

"She's better than alright, she's perfect."

Regina could finally focus well enough to see the younger woman standing by her bed. She tried to keep her body perfectly still and raise her head just enough to see her new baby… her daughter… on her chest.

Snow was behind her in an instant, bracing her head and adding a pillow. "You did good, Regina. And after some time to recover, both of you will be fine."

Looking down her ragged and pain-riddled body, Regina saw her for the first time. Blonde hair and soft skin, so pale against her own olive tone. She gasped when, unexpectedly, wide brown eyes looked up at her, focused and deliberate. She was far too young to do that. Regina wondered if she imagined it as the baby closed her eyes and resumed her drinking.

"I've never seen a baby so young look with such purpose. She is going to be special… just like her mother." Snow smoothed back dark hair from Regina's face.

"Yes, Caroline is already the most special baby in all the realm." Regina rested back into her pillows and enjoyed the sweet intimacy of feeding her daughter in the moonlight. "She is, indeed."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello my darlings. I am so overwhelmed by all the love for this story already. I appreciate every word in reviews and comments. I also love to hear your theories and guesses on what's up.
> 
> Remember, this story features Present Day in chronological order and Flash Backs in whatever order I deem necessary to move the story along. Do you like this format?
> 
> If any of you happen to be the Guest reviewer who left me messages over the last 24 hours about several of my stories, culminating in a long one on Pictures of You, please contact me in a PM or on Twitter (at LP_EQ_RM) so we can talk. I'd really like to.
> 
> Hope you like this. Let me hear from you.

 

Regina sat at her desk in her study and wondered if it was too early to drink. She glanced at the mantle clock. Two in the afternoon. Definitely too early. But today, she'd make an exception.

She'd left the loft about an hour ago with a plan in place and had come home to work on her agenda. Snow was sounding a call for everyone who could or would to gather at Town Hall at five. Then, presenting a united front, the reigning royals—Snow, Charming _and_ Regina—would convene a meeting.

Regina poured a respectable amount of her cider into a tumbler and went back to her desk. Her computer screen still held the meeting agenda but her mind was elsewhere. She had a hard time thinking of anything but Caroline.

It was silly, really. There was nothing special about the child. She was just a baby. A crying little bottomless pit that needed constant supervision and care. Regina rolled her eyes at her own assessment. Even she recognized that she was trying to distance herself from the baby. Yet, something in her yearned to hold her. It was unsettling.

She took a sip of her drink, feeling the warm burn of the amber liquid in her throat. This was a particularly good vintage. She sat the glass aside and focused on the screen. She needed to be ready for this meeting. It could be the most important one of her life.

_Meeting Agenda:_

_5:00 to 5:15 pm—Citizens arrive and are allowed time to mingle._

_5:15 pm—Snow White will call the meeting to order. She will welcome the people and in general set them at ease. She will then give a brief outline of the agenda and turn it over to David._

_5:25 pm—Charming will then address any needs. 1) Did new people come over this time and do they have proper housing, etc? All such concerns report to the 2_ _nd_ _Floor conference room at the close of the meeting. 2) Any missing persons should be reported immediately following the meeting to a deputy in Room A at the end of the hall. 3) Any other concerns he thinks of._

_5:45 pm (approximately)—Regina will be given the floor. She will ask if anyone has any ideas on who may have cast the curse and why. She will ask all citizens to search their homes and belongings for any clues or anything out of the ordinary. And at the close of her portion she will announce her intention to go to New York in search of the Savior._

_6:00 pm (approximately)—The floor will be opened to citizen comments that will be fielded by Snow first, David second and Regina if she is asked directly._

Regina stared at the words. She'd not been the mayor in some time as the people didn't trust her once they got their memories back from her first curse. It was important that they see her and the two idiots working together. That would make them less likely to accuse her of casting this curse.

They still would. Probably beginning with the angry dwarf and trickling down until the smallest child joined in. But with Snow there, it was unlikely anyone would bring a mob to her front door later tonight. It was simple on paper, but Regina knew this meeting would be chaos in the worst way.

It made her feel nauseous just thinking about it. No matter how she had tried to change, she would always be the villain. Always the enemy. But a part of her understood the reluctance to trust. She had, after all, been a holy terror for decades. Still, she hoped having Snow White on her side would help.

She read again the last few lines. She was going to New York. She was going to find her son and Emma and bring them home.

Home.

She sighed and sipped again at her cider. Before she could do that, though, she had to figure out some way to help them regain their memories. No way would they just come here with her otherwise. She had given Emma her own memories of raising Henry and with that she knew came her overprotective nature. Henry's other mother would already have given her life to protect him but coupled now with Regina's same commitment to do that… well, there was no way she was getting near them unless they remembered.

_True love can break any curse…_

The words floated through her mind but she shook them away. She and Emma had made real progress toward friendship and sure, there was something else going on before they said goodbye at the town line, but one misguided night together did not equal true love.

Regina wasn't sure that such a thing even existed for her.

She emptied the tumbler in one giant gulp, glad for the burning that made her forget about true love and Emma for a moment. She glanced at the clock on the mantle again. Two thirty. She had time for a hot shower before the meeting.

Who knows how long it had been since she'd enjoyed modern amenities like indoor plumbing.

~ (SQ) ~

**_A year ago… the Enchanted Forest…_ **

Home.

Regina curled a lip in disdain. This place was no longer her home. Her home was with Henry.

_And Emma…_

Nausea swept over her and she put a hand to her mouth. She may have been just being a bitch when she asked why she was sick instead of the very pregnant Aurora, but now the sickness felt real. This was no time to be coming down with a stomach flu.

"Are you ok?" Snow was beside her, looking worried.

They had been walking for a while through the forest, trying to get to the safety and shelter of Regina's castle before nightfall. Even after all this time, she still felt the need to provide for her subjects. They had never loved her, never respected her… but she had always provided for them.

_And ruled with a bloody fist, Regina. Don't forget. They have reason to hate you._

"I'm fine. Just tired of walking. I wish you'd—"

Snow held up a hand. "No. No magic until we can assess what we are facing here. Besides, you couldn't safely poof this many people. You said so yourself. So…. we walk."

Regina rolled her eyes. She knew the brunette was right but that didn't mean she had to be happy about it. Why were her clothes here so impractical? She loved heels and the way they made her calves look in her pencil skirts… but these long gowns and heeled boots were not made for traipsing through the woods. She looked around her. Snow was dressed similarly without complaint.

But that was just her way, wasn't it? She never made a fuss. She just kept spewing hope and happy endings like some rainbow and glitter word vomit. She always—

Suddenly, everything Regina had ever eaten— _ever_ —made an appearance on the side of the path. The nausea was overwhelming. She felt all eyes on her as everything and everyone stopped to gawk. She tried to stop it but it was pointless. She was puking from all the way down to her toes in uncomfortable boots.

She braced herself on a tree trunk with one hand and remained doubled over, afraid to right herself, afraid she might throw up again. The sour acidic smell of vomit made her cringe. She wasn't a good sick person under the best of circumstances, but she certainly wasn't now, hunched over the side of a dirt road, walking in a ball gown, an awkward up-do threatening to fall.

"Regina!" Snow was by her side. Of course she was. "Are you alright?"

"Do I look alright, _princess_?" Regina bit back, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

Snow reached out to comfort her, but Regina pulled away. She was not about to be babied by Snow White. She was sick but she wasn't weak. And she couldn't let anyone think that. Especially not now. Here, in this realm, she was the queen.

They may have stripped her of power as mayor, but here… here she was still the reigning monarch on the throne. The last thing she wanted was people to see here as weak and Snow as her champion. No. That wouldn't do.

Snow frowned at Regina's rejection. "You don't have to be strong all the time, you know. We may not be in Storybrooke anymore but we all still remember it. It was like forty-five minutes ago."

Regina stood up straighter—always, always so straight like Mother taught her—and smoothed down her dress. She pretended not to notice the sick splattered at the hemline. "That may be, but I am fine and I do not need you or anyone else to play nursemaid to me."

Regina walked on ahead, leaving the other woman behind. Snow watched her go. How was it that this was the second time she had seen Regina throw up in as many weeks? What was wrong with her? She'd keep an eye on her whether she liked it or not.

Regina arched a brow and breezed past her subjects. She couldn't be embarrassed. She couldn't let them see. So… she puked. So what? She sighed. One thing she would miss about Storybrooke, ( _One thing? You mean, besides your son and… her?_ ) was indoor plumbing. Perhaps she should be glad this virus was only making her throw up and not...

She giggled to herself at the thought. She was a queen and a bit more refined. Such things shouldn't be humorous. But Emma would've laughed.

_Emma…_

Regina frowned again. The nausea returned for a different reason now. Oh, how she missed them already.

~ (SQ) ~

**_Present day Storybrooke…_ **

Regina slipped into her bedroom and began unbuttoning her blouse. She eyed her unmade bed and frowned. She couldn't stand an unmade bed, even in the old world. She had been in such a rush to get to the loft this morning, she had just run out and left it.

Now, blouse hanging open and barefoot, she walked over and started straightening the sheets. She had been making this bed for nearly three decades. Even after her magic returned, she had made it herself every morning. There was something comforting in the simple action that appealed to her.

She slipped around to the other side of the large bed and pulled the sheets tight there, smoothing and fluffing the other pillow. Her fingers stilled on it. No one, save only Henry when a storm or bump in the night frightened him when he was smaller, no one else had ever spent the night in this bed with her.

Graham had been here many times for her own selfish pleasure. Thinking of him made her feel ashamed. He didn't deserve that. He didn't deserve… She shook her head. No sense thinking about that now.

He'd been in her bed many nights but he had never been allowed to stay. She'd always sent him on his way, shoes in hand, as he slipped away without waking Henry. She didn't want an overnight guest. She had wanted satisfaction. Most times she got it, even if it was hollow… empty. Just like her bed every night. Empty.

Just her, in the too big bed, barely making a bump under the plush comforter. No one ever stayed the night. It was a throwback to her time as the adoring wife of King Leopold. She wrinkled her nose in disgust, closing her blouse on reflex at the memory of him. He never stayed the night with her either.

No, he was _in and out_ and on his way, a pleased smile on his face. Perhaps she had learned to take what she wanted in bed from him. Don't be kind. Just take and then, sleep alone. That's how it had always been. No one ever stayed the night.

_She did._

Why was she suddenly so emotional about her anyway? It wasn't like they were in a relationship before. More than friends but not lovers… not together. It was one time. One night.

One night that became one morning. She'd never woken up in her lover's arms before. Not in all these years. But she had stayed.

Regina abruptly finished making the bed. Maybe she was thinking about her so much because she had to see her again soon. She had to bring her home. And Henry. They were coming home soon. And she was nervous and afraid and overwhelmed and that was why she was thinking of her and that night and…

_True love is magic…_

"God dammit, Regina. Stop it." She spoke into the empty room, and dropped her blouse on the floor. She made quick work of undressing and slipped into her bathroom. A hot shower was just what she needed.

~ (SQ) ~

**_On the Jolly Roger… somewhere near Neverland…_ **

"Are you alright?" Snow was by her side. Of course she was.

"Do I look alright, _princess_?" Regina barked at her. She was in no mood to be coddled by the other woman.

"Jesus, Regina. Cut her some slack." Emma stepped in between the two women. They'd all been playing nice since Emma took a dive into the sea to get their attention. "She's just worried about you. You've been puking for like ten minutes straight."

Regina braced herself on one hand and wiped her mouth with the back of the other. It was true. This wasn't the first time she had thrown up on this trip. "It's just seasickness. I'm fine."

She stood up straight—always so straight, like Mother taught her—and walked toward the front of the ship, hoping the cool wind there would help her. She wasn't certain it was seasickness but that was what she was going to blame it on. No one needed to know it was more likely her fear and heartache over what lay ahead of them.

She just needed a minute alone, away from their prying eyes. How much longer were they going to be on this damn ship? She needed to _do_ something. Waiting was killing her.

"Hey." Emma's voice was close by.

"Hey." She said, not bothering to turn around.

"Are you… are you sure you are ok? That's the second time you've thrown up since we left Storybrooke." The blonde sidled up next to her and leaned into the wind, taking in a big gulp of air. To her credit, she didn't look at Regina as she spoke. Somehow she always understood. She seemed to know without being told that the brunette wasn't up to direct confrontation, nose to nose, toe to toe. Not right now.

"It's seasickness. I've…" Regina blew air out through her nose with more irritation than she actually felt. "I've never been on a ship before, ok? I spent most of my life a prisoner in some way or other and, other than a boat on a lake for small journeys, I've always traveled by land. I'll get used to it. Give me time."

Emma nodded but made no move to leave her position, hunched over, elbows on the rail. "I think it's more than that… but I am willing to give you time for that too." She looked at the woman in a mirrored position beside her. "He's gonna be ok. You know that, right? We are going to find him and take him home."

Regina glanced at her quickly and then back at the sea. "I know. I just… I feel…" Tears filled her eyes and she was afraid she might throw up again.

Emma nudged her gently with her shoulder. "Hey. No crying. We have to be all bad ass and shit so we can fight Peter—fucking—Pan." She laughed. "Is this really our lives now? Fighting Peter Pan?"

A smile threatened to form on Regina's face and she tried to stifle it. "Really, Miss Swan. Such language."

"I'm pretty sure I've heard you say fuck a few times, Regina." Emma gazed at the brunette now, the full moon casting a silver halo about her golden curls.

Regina blushed, remembering when she'd said it. "I thought we'd agreed not to speak of that again."

"You agreed. We've been sorta busy since then so we haven't really had time to talk about it. What with Greg and Tamara and…" Her voice trailed off.

"And your mother tricking me into murdering my mother? Or perhaps you were going to say you falsely accusing me of murder." Regina felt anger bubbling beneath the surface.

Emma sighed and stood up straighter. "I guess so. No point then, huh? It doesn't matter?"

"Nope." Regina said, looking out at the water with determination.

The sound of Emma's boots marching away reverberated inside Regina's heart. Why did it matter? It shouldn't. It _couldn't._

"You know," Emma called from behind her. "For what it's worth, it could matter."

And then… she was gone. Regina wiped her eyes. This was no time for romantic entanglements. She didn't love Emma. Emma didn't love her. But they both loved their son and that was the only thing that mattered right now. Bringing him home.

~ (SQ) ~

**_Present day…_ **

The room was full of steam. Every surface was beginning to collect condensation, but she didn't care. The hot water running over her body was taking with it her stress, her worries, her fears. When the fog lifted and she was back in her clothes and headed to Town Hall, perhaps that wouldn't be the case. But for now, in this mist filled room, the only sound was the pounding of water against tile and skin, she was free of the weight.

She reached for her shampoo, right where she had left it yesterday… or two years ago, depending on how you looked at it. She opened the top and sniffed. It was a smell she had come to love. There was nothing like it in the other world.

She scrubbed her scalp methodically and rinsed. Once more, shampoo and scrub… rinse. She reached for the conditioner and repeated the action. Though she could remember doing this just yesterday, she knew it had been a long time in reality. Maybe her body remembered even if her mind did not because she felt herself relaxing at every pass of her hand through black silk strands.

She reached for her shower gel and loofah. Where was it? She looked all around her as it she could overlook it in this enclosed space. The loofah was missing. So the curse hadn't put _everything_ back like it had been. She shrugged and squirted the gel into her hand. This would have to do for now.

She smoothed her hands across the water-slicked planes of her body. This wasn't the first time she'd done that with less than innocent intentions. She smirked thinking of it. No one knew her own body like she did. This wasn't the time for simple pleasures but the thought did cross her mind as she slathered suds over sensitive breasts. They seemed… more tender than usual to her and swollen.

She shrugged. They were probably just glad to be back in a bra and free of corsets and bindings and all the torture of Enchanted Forest fashion for queens. Who ever thought those were a good idea? Of course, her breasts pressed up and out, the main attraction in nearly everything she wore, had been one of her strongest allies in dealing with kings and princes and even the odd sorceress here and there.

She had known how to play to her strengths then as now. But at least this world's power plays could be made in power suits and silk blouses without high collars, high hair and heeled boots. She did miss the leather though. She looked good in leather.

Her hands continued to smooth over her skin though the soap had long rinsed away in the water cascading across her flesh. She was reddening in the heat of it but she didn't care. She reached for the shower gel again, the fragrance filling the air.

Once more, her hands moved along her body, slower now, feeling every dip and curve. If the heat and steam had given her a break from the weight of what lie ahead, she was sure the rush of endorphins from an orgasm would dispel them for far longer. Images of that night filled her mind against her better judgement.

How had they ended up like that? And how had it so quickly changed back to anger and mistrust?

_No._

That wasn't what she wanted to think about now. She wanted to remember how she sounded. She'd been quieter than Regina had expected but it was endearing the way she tried to stifle her pleasure. She had encouraged her to let go, to make as much noise as she wanted… but still, until the end, she had bit her lip in a way that made Regina's heart race, trying to be quiet in the darkness.

Regina closed her eyes and let the hot water wash over her, remembering still. Her hands smoothed carefully now across her breasts. How she had worshipped them that night. She was gentler than Regina had expected. It was almost like it meant something to her.

Regina let her hands travel lower, across her abdomen and toward the patch of dark curls at the apex of her thighs. She had kissed her there too. So soft, so tender. It had made her come undone so quickly she was ashamed. No one had ever made her feel so free, so beautiful, so—

Regina stilled her hands and opened her eyes. Carefully she traced her fingers across her stomach again.

"What the hell?" She shut off the water and stepped carefully out on the mat, her day dream forgotten.

Dripping wet, she walked into her bedroom and to the full length mirror by her dressing table. She stepped as close as she could and began to examine the place that her fingers had been tracing. She wasn't imagining things.

There, just above her secret place, was a long, thin scar. The pinkish line was a tiny ridge cutting across her otherwise flawless olive skin. She traced it carefully. It was slightly uneven, and one end raised higher than the other, but no doubt this was a deep cut. But why? Who would…

Chocolate eyes drifted to the left and right of the scar. There she saw more markings in her flesh. Spidery white lines reaching out from her center. Stretch marks. She didn't need anyone to tell her what they were. She'd seen them that night, had kissed them, overcome with emotion at the sight of them, though they were much harder to discern on porcelain flesh. Henry had caused them.

What… no, _who_ had caused these.

Regina shook as one word filled every inch of her being.

_Caroline._

She waved a hand across the mirror and the loft appeared. She could see Snow, standing over the crib, her pinky finger in the baby's tiny mouth. She was trying to copy Regina's trick to help her sleep but it wasn't working. The baby was still restless. She was whimpering and whining and fighting sleep.

Regina felt an ache in her body and tears filled her eyes.

It couldn't be. It _couldn't_ be.

She watched another moment and waved her hand across the glass again. The picture faded away but the ache did not. How was this possible? How could she be her mother? No. It wasn't true.

She couldn't be anyone's mother. She had made sure of that a long time ago. And besides, it was unlikely anyone in the Enchanted Forest would have fallen for her so even if the laws of magic were broken and she was able to conceive, there was no father for the little angel.

Snow was her mother. David was her father. And there was a logical explanation for the scars that didn't include a baby.

This time the nausea that swept over her was fruitful. She ran back to her bathroom just in time. So much for the weight being lifted. Now there was a new one… and it lived in her heart.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N:  I can't tell you how in love I am with this story.  Oh my goodness.  I have always loved magic baby stories but I never had the nerve to write one.  Thanks Jenn.  I owe you one.
> 
> Thanks for reading and for your comments and ideas.  I love you all so much.

 

Regina lay in her bed, looking at a crack in her formerly perfect ceiling. If she wasn't already sure she hadn't cast this curse, she would be now. Not only was her loofah missing but other things held imperfections… like the ceiling. And her office in Town Hall. The furniture was the same but just a bit different.

Whomever had cast the curse this time wasn't as skilled at magic as she was. But then, not many practitioners of the dark arts were. It didn't matter though. Nothing would be perfect here until everyone was back where they belonged.

Henry. Emma. And even the damned pirate.

At the Town Hall meeting, he had been conspicuously missing. She'd asked a few of the other men who lived and worked by the docks if they knew his whereabouts but none did. She sighed. How she loathed that leather-clad, rum-soaked, misogynistic ass.

_Careful Regina. Someone might think you were jealous._

Not so very long ago, in both Storybrooke and in the old world, she had counted the blubbering fool an ally, albeit a tentative one. He'd worked for her. He'd worked _with_ her. She'd even forgiven him mostly for his role in her being held captive by Greg and Tamara. But something had changed in Neverland.

One minute they were commiserating their bleak futures as villains who would never find their happy endings on board the Jolly Roger. Mere days later, she wanted to reach into that disgustingly hairy chest and rip out his black heart. If she were honest, she would admit to herself it was because of his interest in Emma… or more to the point, her flirtation with him.

But, she wasn't honest. Not tonight.

He hadn't been there for the meeting and perhaps that was just as well. It had been a fiasco from her standpoint. Snow had tried to calm the people but everyone was quick to accuse Regina of casting the new curse. David had gotten a better response. People had lined up in both rooms they'd appointed for housing, jobs and to report missing people.

Yes, this curse caster was a novice. Regina had seen to every detail. This seemed rushed, pasted together. But whomever had done it must be a friend to her. No one, in any realm, knew the details of casting the curse, save she and Rumple. And he hadn't been seen since that day in the middle of the street when he'd killed his father. So she must have helped this person.

She rolled onto her side and pulled the other pillow to her. The empty house felt all the more empty tonight. Maybe she had spent time with people close by in the Enchanted Forest. Maybe she just missed Henry.

_Or the baby._

She squeezed her eyes tight. She had managed not to make a scene at the meeting tonight when Caroline had cried for her to take her. Snow had instead passed her off to Granny. The woman was good with children but she couldn't make Caroline calm down. That's when Regina had noticed it.

When she was crying, screaming in angry protest of not being given what she wanted, the little girl wrinkled up her face in the exact same way Regina did—even now—when she was throwing a tantrum because she wasn't getting her way. True, it had been a long time since she had done that. But still, the girl looked so much like Regina that the brunette had gasped and placed a hand on her own belly by reflex.

It was crazy. There was no way she was anyone's mother. Well, except Henry's. But she wasn't physically able to have children. She couldn't even count on a regular menstrual cycle since she drank her own special poison and killed any chance of bearing a child. No. She was projecting her longing to see her son onto this poor, innocent girl.

But Snow certainly was struggling with her. She didn't seem capable of quieting the baby, no matter what she did or was lovingly coached to do by more experienced mothers. Regina rolled on to her other side. She shouldn't be thinking about Caroline. She should be focusing on getting some rest.

Tomorrow she was going to begin her work to find a way to restore memories. Perhaps the whole towns if she could find the answer in her books and scrolls. She had even secured Belle's help by promising she would search for a way to bring Rumple back once the curse was broken.

The town hadn't liked her being in the meeting. They had accused her of casting the curse. They had barked and jeered at her every chance they got. But when she announced her intention to go to New York to find the Savior, no one had objected. They seemed rather excited at the prospect of her leaving town. But, to be honest, it was a win/win for them.

If she left and found Emma, great. Emma would be back to solve all their problems. They would have things back in natural balance. They could revile the villain, in this case as ever, Regina. They could worship the Savior, Emma. So what if they couldn't comprehend that both Evil Queen and Savior were more complex than a title, that life was more gray than black and white? At least they would feel in their little brains like all was right with the world again.

She couldn't fault them for wanting that. She wanted it too.

But, if she left town and didn't find Emma… well, they won with that too. She would be out there, in the land without magic, alone and perhaps never come back again. She would at a minimum be out of their hair for a while. And wasn't that better than nothing to them anyway?

_I wonder if Snow is letting Caroline have plenty of tummy time? Surely she is trying to crawl by now._

Regina huffed and flopped back on to her back. She had to stop thinking about the baby. She had real problems… that belonged to her… to think about. Still, her hand reached into her pajama trousers and touched the thin scar on her abdomen. It wouldn't hurt to check on her, once.

She climbed out of bed and waved her hand in front of her mirror. It was late and she was sure the Charming household was long since asleep. Instead of watching from the large mirror in Snow's room as she had earlier, she chose another, smaller one. It was attached to the side of the crib for Caroline to see herself in.

Regina knew, as so many times before, that no one could see her in the mirror unless she wished them to see her. So she justified looking in, a voyeur with good reason. She wasn't hurting anything or anyone and she wasn't spying. She was just checking on her baby.

_Their baby._

Shaking off her thoughts, she peered into the mirror. Looking back at her in the quiet darkness were two chocolate eyes. It made Regina gasp the way they stared purposely and knowingly at her. There was no way Caroline could see her… could know she was looking in. And yet…

Regina smiled at the girl and whispered into the one way view. "Hello beautiful girl. You should be sleeping." The child could no more hear her than she could see her, but she smiled and reached for the mirror, her little legs kicking excitedly. Regina frowned. "Can you see me, precious?"

Again, Caroline smiled and gurgled, tiny fingers finally making contact with the mirror. The faintest glow of magic appeared in a circle around the pad of each little digit on the glass. Regina stepped back as if burned. Caroline had magic?

"It means nothing, Regina. She is the product of True Love, just like Emma. Who knows how early Emma would have manifested magic had she grown up in the Enchanted Forest." Regina scolded herself out loud. "She's the product of True Love, that's all."

_But whose True Love?_

~ (SQ) ~

**_Back in the Enchanted Forest…_ **

A knock sounded faintly on the door to Regina's room. "Regina? Can I come in?"

The brunette looked into the small bassinet at her sleeping baby girl and then made her way to the door. "Snow, I just got Caroline to sleep so, yes, come in but we have to talk quietly."

The two former enemies had become something like friends over the months they had been in the Enchanted Forest again. It had been out of necessity in some ways and out of grief in others. They had to get along in order to rule. They needed each other in the face of having both lost their children.

And now, they both loved Caroline more than life. She was a beautiful ray of sunlight in this mess.

"Ok, I can be quiet." Snow said, slipping in and gently closing the door.

Regina smirked. "I think the nightly cries I hear while I'm feeding her would suggest otherwise, princess." The once venomous title had become something of a term of endearment between them.

Snow blushed. "You can't hear us."

Regina raised her eyebrows to their limit. "Oh no? Then how do I know what you've been up to?"

Snow blushed a deeper red and Regina just laughed. She enjoyed teasing the woman. With everything that had been going on, it was good to have a moment of levity.

"Well, we are trying to get pregnant. We were already trying before we got here, but now… seeing how much joy Caroline has brought back to your life, we thought…" She faded off. "Is that selfish? To have a baby because my heart is broken?"

Regina thought a moment. "Probably. But I'm in no position to judge selfish behavior, Snow. You have to do what is best for you and for David. And I'm sure Caroline would like a playmate." She smiled then and imagined a time when Caroline would be able to actually play and not just eat, cry and sleep as she did now.

"Can you imagine? Two little ones running around the palace?" Snow looked misty eyed as she spoke about the future. "Speaking of little ones, I noticed Roland has taken a liking to you. Have you noticed his father at all? He's sorta cute."

Regina rolled her eyes. This line of questioning had gotten old, fast. "Snow. Please don't start that. I literally just had a baby. I am not on the market for a man."

"I know. I just… Since you won't tell us who the father is, I just thought maybe you'd be interested in at least a friendship with him. That's all. And you have a lot in common. He's a single parent. You're a single parent." Snow ticked those two points off on her fingers.

Regina smirked. "And that is all we have in common. No, I am not interested in him. I… I know I haven't told you about the baby's other parent but I promise you I will. I just wasn't ready before. We weren't in a good place, you and me. The truth is, I wasn't sure how you'd react to hearing the truth."

Snow frowned. "Well, unless Charming is her father, I'm not sure you can tell me anything that will shock me."

Regina's eyes widened. "Oh, I wouldn't be so sure about that. But… today isn't the day for that truth. I need some time. And I'd like to tell you and David… together."

Snow nodded, letting go of that for the time being. She had asked Regina several times about Caroline's other parent but Regina had never hinted about it even slightly. She wasn't ready to tell them just yet that Emma was certainly the mother of both her children. She wasn't sure what it even meant that they could conceive a child with magic. And how, how could they when Regina wasn't able to become pregnant? She had cursed herself—

_True Love can break any curse._

"So, then, let's talk about Robin Hood. Don't you think he's cute?" Snow started down that path again.

Regina sighed. They were definitely doing this now. "He's fine, I suppose, if you like a constant look of confusion on a man. To be perfectly honest, I feel nothing for the man. I don't like him and I don't not like him. He just exists in the same world as I do. His son is adorable and his dimples when he smiles make me want to hug him in half. But as for Robin himself… eh."

"Eh?" Snow said, shaking her head. "Just eh?"

Regina shrugged. "Yes, Snow. Just eh. He's annoying. But not even that to the point where I'd spend much time worrying about it. So just, eh."

From her bassinet, Caroline began to stir. Regina held a finger up to her own lips to silence Snow's response. The baby grunted and cooed for a moment before falling silent again. Regina led the other brunette a bit further away from the baby so they wouldn't wake her fully.

"Well, if you feel that way about him, I will drop it." Snow smoothed out her dress as she sat on the chaise in the corner.

"Just like that. After all the hints and prodding, you just decided you will drop it?" Regina sat beside the woman and looked at her in disbelief. It was too easy. Surely Snow was up to something.

"Regina, I learned a long time ago that indifference… Ok. I don't think hate is the opposite of love. If you said you hated Robin I might keep pushing. But you don't hate him. You are indifferent toward him. You don't care either way. So, that tells me there is no hope of anything more happening. So I'll let it go." Snow pulled absentmindedly on the ends of her now long again dark hair.

"Hate isn't the opposite of love?" Regina asked. She had always believed it was.

Snow shook her head. "No. Hate is more like the angry cousin of love. Hate implies something more is going on. It may just be hate pure and simple. It may be some infatuation or temporary interest. But if you hate something, you feel something and you have passion about it. That sounds like love turned inside out. But indifference…" The woman crinkled her brow, thinking about what she wanted to say. "Indifference is cold and unfeeling. It feels nothing. Not hate, not love… nothing. There is no fire, no passion, not even in a bad way. So to me, if you are indifferent, there's nothing there. But if you feel that fire, there is a possibility it can be turned on its end and become something. Is that stupid?"

Regina stared, slack jawed, at her former nemesis. Maybe her theory didn't work in every case, but it certainly applied to many of Regina's relationships. Even her own with Snow. Her passionate pursuit of Snow in hate had long ago morphed into something like caring and even now, though she wasn't ready to say it, she loved the other woman and was glad for her friendship.

_And Emma… you hated Emma._

Regina's mind flooded with all the times she and Emma had walked that razor's edge between wanting to kill each other and wanting to slam each other against the wall in a passionate embrace. She hadn't known that was what it was at the time, but she'd had a lot of time to think since coming back here. She'd spent many hours thinking about Emma, about how much she missed her, about the way they had always invaded each other's space, understood each other on a deeper level, so in a way, Snow made perfect sense. Maybe her anger, her hate for Emma had finally found its way to love.

Another sound came from the bassinet. Caroline must be awake now. Regina could hear her kicking her feet and beginning to fuss. She'd go get her in a moment. First, she wanted to tell Snow something important.

"No, that isn't stupid at all. I don't think it applies to every situation. That could be dangerous if you believed your hate and anger was really love in disguise with everyone. But in some cases, sure. I think you are right. In fact, I know you are for me. I am indifferent to Robin. This isn't the first time I have seen him. Once, long ago, Tinkerbell told me he was my soulmate. And I refused to go to him. I didn't know that it was him until yesterday. He and Roland came to see Caroline and I saw a tattoo on his wrist. That was the only thing I ever saw about him before. So I know, he is the man. But Snow, I feel nothing toward him. Even knowing who he is supposed to be." Snow gasped in shock at the confession, but she waited for Regina to go on. "There is someone though, who I thought I hated… who I realize now that I love. Very much. And I think now is the time to say so. You see—"

Before Regina could finish her thought and confess for the first time out loud that she was in love with Emma, there was a wisp of lilac smoke in between them and Caroline appeared. Snow and Regina both gasped aloud in shock and surprise.

"Caroline?!" Regina reached for the squirming infant. "How did you…"

"Did she do that herself?" Snow asked, her eyes wide and wondering.

Regina checked the baby all over and held her close. "Oh my god. She has magic. She has _magic._ "

The two women just sat in silence for a moment, thinking about what this could mean. The girl was just a few weeks old. How was it possible that she could use magic even if she had it naturally by being Regina and Emma's daughter?

"How did she do that?" Snow asked, her fingers touching the tiny foot against Regina's stomach.

Regina shook her head. "She must've heard our voices and she wanted to be with us so she just…" She looked down into the once again sleeping face of her baby. "She wanted it enough that her magic gave it to her, even if she didn't really know what she was asking for. Snow, she's too small to be doing magic. This could be dangerous. What is she wants to get away from me? Or what if she wants something she can't have?"

Snow put a soothing hand on the woman. "She's an infant. The only things she wants are milk and sleep and you."

"Yes, right now. But what about in a year when she has more control of her thoughts but not of her impulses? Oh god. What am I going to do? I don't have the magic cuff. And would I use such a thing on my own baby?" Perhaps she was tired from waking up all hours with the girl. Perhaps she was hormonal from the actual pregnancy and birth. Whatever it was, Regina wasn't in control like usual. She was freaking out. Tears filled brown eyes and slipped down her cheeks. "I can't teach an infant to control magic. I could barely teach Emma. Oh, Emma. I…I wish you were here."

The confession fell from her lips so softly amidst her tears that if Snow hadn't been sitting so close on the chaise, she may not have heard. But she did… and just like that, she knew.

She knew.

~ (SQ) ~

_**Present day...** _

Things weren't going well. Regina had read through half her books already that had anything to say about memory loss. There were potions that could restore in certain cases, but none said anything about cursed memories. How was she supposed to bring them home if they didn't remember her?

She sat on the floor of her study, books stacked all around her on the floor. On the coffee table was a half-eaten sandwich and cup of now cold coffee. She had only gotten up all day to make the lunch she had barely touched. Now, it was nearing dinner time and the shadows grew long in the room.

One whole day, alone, holed up in her house, and she had found exactly nothing. She stood and shook out her limbs. Her right foot was tingling from lack of circulation and her rear end was completely numb. Maybe tomorrow she would sit on the couch.

She marked her place in the book she was reading and laid it aside. Picking up her dishes, she went to the kitchen. She was hungry. Regina looked through the stocked refrigerator. There were several things she really liked but some were not her brands. Another proof she hadn't cast this curse. Nothing was right.

She looked through the pantry and cupboards. Nothing was right there either. Almost but not quite. She huffed and picked up her purse and keys on the counter. She was going to take a break. Maybe a drive would clear her mind. Maybe she'd go see Caroline. That would help.

Instead she found herself driving out to the town line. She stood there, looking at the orange line painted on the ground. Somewhere, just beyond that line was Henry and Emma. Somewhere, just beyond that line…

Her thoughts were interrupted by a pulse of magic and the sound of crying. At her feet, lying on the pavement, screaming and red faced was Caroline. Regina gasped, looking around.

"Caroline?!" She scooped the baby into her arms and began soothing her. How had she gotten here? She had magic, Regina was sure of it. But how had she gotten _here_?

Once the baby was calm, Regina pulled out her phone and dialed Snow. The woman was frantic when she answered. "Regina? I can't talk right now. Caroline is gone! She was crying in her crib and I couldn't get her to stop… oh god. Where is she? Can you help us? Please!"

There was desperation and fear in the woman's voice. "Snow. She's with me. I'm at the town line. I'll bring her home. Calm down. She's ok."

"With you? But how… how can she be with you? I don't understand." Snow sniffled, trying to calm down.

"I think I may know. I'll be there in a few minutes." Regina waved a hand and a car seat appeared in the Mercedes. She strapped the baby in and drove into town. All the way, Caroline giggled and cooed. She had discovered her foot somewhere along the way and was pulling it closer and closer to her mouth though she couldn't quite make it. She frowned in frustration and for a moment, she looked like a tiny version of Emma. It made Regina's heart leap. She knew there was something she was supposed to know but she just couldn't remember.

Once at the loft, Snow took the baby into her arms and held her tight. Immediately, the baby began to squirm and fight to be free. Reluctantly, the pixie-haired brunette laid the girl down on her belly on the rug with some toys and turned to Regina.

"How did she get to the town line? Did you do something?" There was no accusation in her voice, just genuine confusion.

"No, I didn't. But she did. I think… I think Caroline has magic, Snow. I think she transported herself out there." Regina pulled off her jacket and hung it up by the door.

"Magic? But how? She's so small. How could she…" Realization seemed to dawn on her. "True Love. She's like Emma, isn't she? She had magic because David and I have True Love."

Regina nodded. She was sure it was because of True Love. She just didn't feel as confident about whose exactly. "Yes. I think so. And I don't know how or why she poofed to me, but maybe she was just angry and her magic just took her away. She seems to have quite the temper. I'll need to investigate ways we can block her magic until she can be taught to handle it."

Snow stared at the little girl on the rug. She had managed to scoot on her tummy to a soft toy and had rolled onto her back. She waved the bright yellow ring in the air and then stuck it in her mouth. She seemed so happy now… content. But when she had disappeared, she had been near hysterical, inconsolable and definitely angry.

"Ok. If you think that is best. I honestly don't know what to do. I've seen magic my whole life but not like this. From a baby. My baby. Do you think Emma had magic too, I mean, at this age?" Snow sat on the floor near Caroline and watched as she became fascinated with her foot again, laying aside the yellow ring.

"Probably. But since she was here, in this realm, it never manifested. It's likely it protected her from danger on its own, but she wouldn't have been able to tap into it until she came here, to Storybrooke and magic arrived." Regina sat on the other side of the child and helped her pull off her sock so she could see her toes wiggling in the air. She smiled fondly and felt an ache in her chest.

_Stop it. This isn't your baby._

"Well, if you will research on how we can control it that would really set my mind at ease. Maybe I can help look through some books. Don't let that take away from you finding a potion to restore memories, though. That is more important right now." Snow watched Regina smiling at her daughter and felt uncomfortable, not for the first time. She loved Caroline, but even she knew she didn't look at the baby like Regina did. It made her feel ashamed. Why didn't she love the baby like Regina did?

They sat quietly, both looking at the baby between them for a long moment before Snow spoke up again. "Why were you at the town line?"

"Hmmm?" Regina said, not really listening to the other woman.

"The town line. You said you were there when you called. Why were you there?" Snow asked, leaning back against the couch.

Regina leaned on her arm and tickled the baby's tummy. The girl squealed and kicked before trying to roll back onto her belly. "I was just out there, clearing my head. Thinking about what it will be like to cross and go out into the world again."

Snow nodded and tried to help Caroline roll over. The baby finally made it and reached for the yellow ring again. "Are you frightened?" She didn't make eye contact when she asked.

Regina shook her head. "Not about going into the world. I've been outside of town before. But I am nervous about the actual crossing. If I didn't cast the curse… I'm not sure I can leave."

"What do you mean?" Snow asked.

"I mean, I could leave before because I cast the curse. Henry and Emma could leave because they were never a part of the curse. But if I didn't cast it, and we know I didn't, then I am not sure what will happen to me when I cross the line. I may lose my memories permanently. I may just become Mayor Regina Mills and forget I was ever anything else." She stretched her legs out in front of her and leaned back into the couch with Snow.

"Oh. I hadn't considered that. What should we do? Can we test the theory?" Snow frowned and looked at the person she had known longer than anyone in her life with worry.

"No. There is no way to test it. If Rumple were here, he would know how to make it so I can go without fear as he did with Emma. But… he isn't here. I can research and find the spell he used but, dammit, I don't want to research. I want to go. I want to find them. I want them home." Regina looked up at the ceiling in frustration.

Snow studied her a moment. "You'd be willing to risk forgetting who you are forever to try and bring them home?"

Regina didn't have to think about her answer. "Of course. I'd do anything for the ones I love, Snow. Even if that meant… losing myself in the process."

Caroline flung her arms about wildly and lost the yellow ring. She began to quarrel and fuss, looking for it. Regina picked it up and handed it back to her, smiling at her and smoothing her frown with a gentle touch of her index finger.

Snow could only stare. _The ones I love._ And just like that, she knew.

She just knew.

Regina was in love with Emma.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know!  I have been away a long time and for that I am sorry.  I hope this chapter will make up for my long absence.  My muse had a lot to say this week as I am updating this story and updated another, Tell Her It's Gonna Last Forever, just last night.
> 
> If you are enjoying this tale, please let me know.  I always enjoy hearing from each of you.
> 
>  

Regina glanced down at the digital clock in the dash of her Mercedes. She was making good time. If she didn't stop or get stuck in traffic, she would be in New York by nightfall. She wasn't sure she was doing the right thing but she couldn't just sit home any longer.

It had been nearly two weeks since they had returned to Storybrooke and they were no closer to figuring out what was going on. Despite enlisting the help of Belle and eventually even Blue, no progress was being made in creating the memory potion for the townspeople. Nothing was bringing back their memories. One day ran into the next until soon the people seemed to care little about the missing years and started settling back into their old routines of life.

But Regina couldn't just settle back into a routine. She couldn't just forget. Her life would never be back to normal until Henry and Emma were home. Until she figured out why she had cried the first hour of her drive to New York for leaving Caroline behind. No. She couldn't settle into anything until things were set right again.

The gas light came on and Regina swore under her breath. She didn't want to stop. She wanted to drive on. But necessity won out. She'd stop, check in with Snow (about her journey… definitely not to see how Caroline was doing), fuel up and be back on the road. Twenty minutes tops.

Flicking on her blinker to merge onto the exit ramp, Regina let out a long, slow breath. She had absolutely no idea what was going to happen once she actually arrived in the city. She didn't know where they were. She didn't even know if they had remained in New York. But somehow, someway, she would find them. Always.

_Oh god, Regina. You've spent too much time with the Charming Idiots._

Getting out of the car, she clutched a small vial in her hand. She didn't want to let this out of her sight. The fairy and the bookworm may not be making progress on restoring the town's collective memories but she had managed to find a potion in one of Rumple's old tomes that should - _should-_ restore Emma's memories if she drank it. The only catch, besides the fact that it might not work in the Land Without Magic, was that Emma had to willingly drink it. There could be no slipping it into her cocoa.

Regina slipped the bottle into her pocket and pumped her gas. She decided to take advantage of her brief stop and dashed inside to use the bathroom and pick up a bottle of water. Then she would phone her friend. It felt bizarre thinking of Snow as her friend, but whatever their memories might reveal about their time in the Forest, Regina was certain that she and Snow had become friends. She could just feel it, living beneath the surface of her subconscious. She actually felt affection for the twit.

"Are you there? Did you find them?" Snow's voice was too loud on the line and Regina immediately clicked the volume down.

"No. I am neither in New York, nor have I found them. I haven't been gone that long, Princess. I appreciate your confidence though it may take more than a few hours to get them home, dear." She wanted to be snarky and maybe even cruel in her reply but somehow she lacked the fire to do it. "How is… everything there?"

Regina could almost hear Snow's smug expression spreading across her face. "She's fine, Regina. No screaming fits since the initial one when you first left. She's having a nap now."

"She? Whatever do you mean? I was just-"

"Seriously, Regina? Caroline is fine. You can continue stealing my daughter's heart in Storybrooke after you find my other daughter in New York." Snow's voice was teasing but somehow Regina felt the tiniest wave of jealousy through the phone.

Regina sighed. "Ok. I need to get back on the road. I just wanted to check in. I'll call again when I reach New York and settle in my room. Call me… if… anything…" Her voice trailed off.

Snow's voice was soft but confident. "I've got this, Regina. You just focus on bringing them home."

~ (SQ) ~

**_The night of the Welcome Home party…_ **

"I could have handled that better." Emma sat down in a booth at Granny's across from Archie. The doctor rubbed his glasses with the edge of his sweater vest and waited for her to elaborate.

She didn't.

"In fairness to you, she hasn't exactly done a lot to earn your trust. You reacted as anyone would have, Emma. But..." He paused and Emma looked up at him.

"But?"

"But… she has really been making progress in our sessions. I cannot elaborate, but suffice it to say, she wants to be good. She wants to earn trust. Specifically yours and Henry's." Archie pushed aside his half eaten slice of cake. Though he'd made it, it was too sweet for his taste.

Emma slumped back in the booth. She knew Regina was trying. And hadn't she just absorbed some kind of death curse to save them? _She absorbed it but she also created it, Swan. Don't forget that._

"Emma, when you think back on this most recent interaction with Regina, what about it makes you feel you could have handled it better? What would you change?" Archie looked at her with inquisitive and gentle eyes. Regina really had cast these characters in oddly appropriate roles in her Dark Curse.

Emma sighed. She didn't want to be psychoanalyzed in the middle of a party, but she had this gnawing in her stomach. "She… she said she was sorry, Archie. When things seemed ready to turn into a fight, she actually apologized. She's never done that before. Maybe in her entire life." Emma gave a dry laugh. Archie remained stoic, clear blue eyes watching.

Regina's brown eyes had been shimmering with tears when she apologized in front of Granny's. Emma knew the gnawing feeling, the absolute certainty in her gut, was because she knew Regina wasn't lying. It probably took everything in her to say she was sorry, but it had been genuine. And all she wanted, all she had asked Emma for was to see Henry.

"I think I need to talk to her about seeing Henry. I know what it feels like to have him kept from me. She did that to me. I don't want to do that to her. I should have said so." Emma took a sip of her beer. It was warm and that made her nose wrinkle in disgust.

"Then why don't you?" Archie asked with a tilt of his head.

Emma nodded to herself more than to him. Standing up, she thanked Archie for the talk and slipped into the night. She was going to talk to Regina about letting her have some time with Henry.

~ (SQ) ~

**_Present Day…. New York City_ **

Regina stepped out onto the street in front of her hotel. Her car was safely tucked away in the parking garage and her belongings in her suite. The former queen had one lead, but for tonight, she thought it might be a good plan to go out and just absorb the city. Tomorrow she would systematically begin her search by scoping out the apartment she had found on her internet searching as belonging to an E. Swan.

She could go there now, walk right up to the door and see them. But that didn't seem prudent even with her impulsive ways. No. It would be better to grab a sandwich, have a bath and a good night's sleep and then camp outside the apartment until she was sure it was them. Maybe she could pretend to be selling something. Oh! Or lost! Appeal to the savior living deep inside Emma. She would surely be a sucker for a damsel in distress.

Regina took in the sights and sounds around her as she walked. There were so many people it was a bit overwhelming. She had followed the advice she'd read online and hidden her money in various places on her body. She had left her purse in the room. She wasn't looking up at the buildings so no one would think she was a tourist. To be honest, she felt vulnerable out alone without her magic.

But all she really cared about was finding them, getting them to remember and getting them home. The vial held enough memory potion for Emma. She hadn't had enough carys root on hand to make two potions and there hadn't been any in Rumple's apothecary either. But restoring Henry's memories would be something they would work on once they were back home in Storybrooke.

Regina thought about how it would be now between the three of them. She and Emma had worked together in Neverland. They had formed a bond of sorts in their desire to save their son. And Henry… dear, sweet Henry. He had said she wasn't a villain… she was his mom. Would it still be like that when they came home? So much time had passed. Would they be able to build on that now?

Regina wandered the streets near her hotel for longer than she had intended, taking note of street names as she walked. Being out in the night air was helping clear her mind and ease the ache in her back from riding so long in her car. It was overwhelming to think that somewhere under this same stretch of sky her son… and Emma were living. Perhaps having a meal together and talking about some project he had at school.

Regina glanced into the window of a shop. There was a beautiful red dress on a much too thin mannequin and she wondered absentmindedly if Emma was still wearing leather and jeans or if the influence of Regina's memories had changed her taste in clothes. She smiled thinking of Emma in a dress. Had she ever seen her in a dress?

Catching her own reflection, Regina noticed a man, lingering behind her. Hadn't she seen him several blocks ago? Lingering when she stopped for a coffee? Her heart rate quickened slightly and she decided to cross the street and head back toward her hotel. It was possible she was imagining things. But now that feeling of vulnerability began to expand. She was alone… in the city… and defenseless.

She glanced casually back. The man had crossed and was still behind her. Though the streets were not as empty as Storybrooke's would be at this hour, Regina knew it wasn't safe for her to have wandered so far. She quickened her pace and glanced back again, this time more directly. He was walking faster too.

Dark eyes settled on a sign ahead. _Toaster_ it read in glowing neon. Determined, Regina nearly jogged to the entrance and ducked inside. Making her way inside, Regina clambered onto a vacant stool at the bar and looked nervously at the door. Had the man followed her in? Would he be waiting outside?

"What can I get you?" The bartender said, mopping up some unknown substance from the counter.

Regina looked at the woman in confusion. It was only then that the thumping sound of music and the low roar of conversation registered. Right. This was a bar. The woman raised her eyebrows toward her spiked pink hair in question and waited.

"Um…" Regina's mind tried to settle on what to order. Should she even have a drink if someone was chasing her?

"She looks like a martini to me, Spark. And bring me a beer." A voice spoke from behind Regina.

She didn't have to turn around to know it belonged to Emma Swan.

~ (SQ) ~

**_Back in Storybrooke…. After the party._ **

Emma shuffled from one foot to the other nervously. This had seemed like a much better idea at the diner. But now, standing here on the porch, that gleaming _108_ staring at her… well, it wasn't too late to walk away and forget the whole thing.

The door swung open.

Oh yeah, except for the fact she had already knocked.

Regina frowned at the woman at her door. "Can I help you, Miss Swan?"

Emma took a deep breath and tried to smile. "Are we back to Miss Swan already?"

The brunette pinched the bridge of her nose with forefinger and thumb. "What do you want, Emma? I assure you I haven't managed to do anything evil since you saw me last."

"No, I know. I mean… no one reported anything." She chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. It wasn't working. Regina only frowned harder.

_Don't make jokes, Swan._

Emma cleared her throat and tried again. "I just didn't like the way we left things. I thought maybe we could talk… about Henry."

Regina's frown eased at the mention of her son. She stepped back and waved Emma in with a hand holding a drink. "Come in."

Emma stepped nervously into the house. It never stopped making her feel intimidated. Maybe that was part of the reason Regina lived in such a large home. Maybe it was one more way she could keep people in fear of her… at a distance.

Glancing at the dark woman as she led the way into her study, Emma didn't find her nearly as fierce or intimidating as Regina tried to make herself seem. In her stocking-feet, she was shorter than Emma by a bit and seemed somehow vulnerable. Though the blonde knew that with her magical arsenal she was not weak… not vulnerable. She was still a force to be reckoned with.

Yet somehow her stance made her seem less so tonight.

Regina was at the sidebar, refreshing her drink. "May I offer you something to drink, Sheriff?"

"Um… beer. If you've got one." Emma sat on the sofa facing the fireplace. She had sat opposite this seat the first night she met Regina. That night she brought Henry home. God, her first impression of Regina had been wonderful mother, worried sick about her son.

_And sexy as hell._

Emma immediately stifled that thought. This was not the time. Regina was beautiful. No one could deny it. But insects probably thought the Venus Flytrap was beautiful too and look what that got them. Dead.

Regina was saying something. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I said would you like it in a glass or do you drink directly from the bottle?"

"Bottle is fine. But I do drink it from a mug usually. I've got some class." Emma wasn't sure why she cared what Regina thought about how she drank beer.

A regal brow arched high. "Class? Well aren't you full of surprises." There was a teasing tone to Regina's smoky voice and Emma wondered how much she had already had to drink.

"Yep. I can be classy, lady. I know which fork to eat my salad with and how much to tip the valet too." Emma continued at Regina's doubtful expression. "There's a lot you don't know about me."

"Indeed. It would seem so." Regina sat down and pulled her feet up onto the sofa. The move surprised Emma. Again there was that sense of vulnerability about her. Not fragility. She still had an aura of power. But it was something else.

_Loneliness. She's lonely._

Regina sipped from her glass as an awkward silence fell over them. Emma had come to talk and apparently the brunette was pleased to let the conversation lag until she took it up again. The blonde cleared her throat and took a decidedly unladylike swig of her beer.

"So, I never took you for a martini drinker, Regina." Emma leaned forward, rolling the beer bottle between her hands in the space her parted knees created. Also unladylike but who was counting.

"No? Did you think I only drank the blood of old lovers from a skull goblet?" The smirk on full lips told Emma that Regina was still teasing. Strange.

The savior laughed nervously. "I guess I thought you only drank the—what was it you called it? The best damn cider I had ever tasted?"

Regina seemed to look far into the past to their first meeting. Dark eyes looked up suddenly and locked hard onto green. There was such force, such feeling in the look that it felt to Emma as though she had been punched in the gut. "There is a lot you don't know about _me_ , Emma."

Words spilled out before she could stop them. "So, tell me."

Regina gazed at her, as if searching for something. "Well, what would you like to know?"

~ (SQ) ~

**_Present day New York…._ **

Regina couldn't speak as she turned her eyes toward the source of the voice. No way this could be so easy. Finding Emma without even looking for her? It was the worst cliché… rom-com trope… it couldn't be real.

And yet, somehow, someway, it was.

"Hey, are you ok? You look like you've seen a ghost." Emma sat on the stool next to Regina and nodded her thanks for the beer to Spark, the bartender.

"I..." Regina tried to form words but they wouldn't come. If she had previously had any doubt while in the Enchanted Forest about her feelings for the blonde, the racing heart and warmth spreading throughout her body at the sight of her let her know there was no need. She definitely felt something more than friendly about the other woman.

_Love. You love her, Regina._

Emma tilted her head to one side, a tiny crease forming between her eyebrows. Regina knew that look was worry mixed with concentration. The savior was sizing her up.

Throughout Regina's long and storied life, there had been many times when she was frightened. She seldom let on that she was and certainly never confided in anyone that she was. She had been warned against showing weakness by her mother. Quite literally the idea of being vulnerable as a show of strength had been beaten out of her. There was an inner desire now to stand up straight, square back her shoulders and deny the fear.

She was not afraid of the man following her. She was not afraid to be alone in this city. She was not afraid to be without her magic. She was not afraid of what lay before her in bringing Emma and Henry home. She was not afraid of love.

But she was.

And a voice as small as Caroline's breath against her face as she cradled the sleeping babe in her arms was compelling Regina to be real in this moment, pushing her to confess her fear and let this Emma see her vulnerability.

"I… there was a man—outside—he… he was… I'm sure he was following me and I felt… I think he was going to harm me in some way. I'm probably being overly dramatic but I felt sure… he… he…" Regina felt tears stinging her eyes. They were for more than her momentary fright at being unable to protect herself. They were the tears of relief conjured up by the sincere look of concern in Emma's wide, green orbs. Had she ever looked at Regina with such undiluted care before?

No. Never. She knew too much about her to ever look at her without it being tainted with the past. But this Emma, free of the weight of knowledge and memory… she was looking at Regina in a way that made the woman tremble inwardly.

Emma jumped from the stool and stepped toward the door. "Someone was after you? What'd he look like? Should I call someone or… or… do you want me to kick his ass? Do you know this creep?"

Regina shook her head no and tried to gain control. She could not let her emotions run free. What was causing this? She felt like a teenager awash with hormones and unsure how to handle them. She felt an ache in her chest to hold Caroline. Her quiet cooing would soothe her nerves.

_What the hell is wrong with you? Pull yourself together!_

"I'm fine. I just wandered too far from my hotel and I'm probably being foolish. Please…" She patted the stool by her. "Please come sit with me a moment and enjoy your drink. I think I will be ok."

Emma turned from the door and looked back at the brunette, studying her… always studying her. She shrugged her strong shoulders and eased back onto the stool. "You're sure you are alright? Because if you aren't, you just say the word and—"

"And you will kick his ass. Noted." Regina smiled her best smile at the blonde and picked up the glass Spark had placed before her. "Thank you for the drink. I am a martini. How did you know?"

Emma returned her smile. "I have a special talent for things like that."

"A, um, superpower of sorts?" Regina asked pulling an olive free of the cocktail pick with her teeth.

The question brought a laugh from the other woman. "No, just a talent. Although my kid swears I have a superpower for knowing when people are lying."

Regina's heart swelled at the mention of Henry. This was real. She had found Emma and soon they would be home again.

"Regina Mills." The brunette extended her hand to Emma for a handshake.

The blonde slipped her hand into Regina's with a firm squeeze. Regina didn't miss the tingle in her fingertips. Were it not impossible to feel the draw of magic in this place so far from Storybrooke, she would certainly have called it just that—magic. "Emma. Emma Swan."

"Well, Emma Emma Swan, it is a pleasure to meet you." Regina smiled again, this time feeling a bit more relaxed. If there was one thing she knew how to do, it was charm her way to what she wanted. And tonight what she wanted was Emma.

_To make a connection with Emma, Regina. To start a conversation that leads to a friendship so she will drink the potion. Nothing else._

Emma grinned widely and took another sip of her beer. "You aren't a New Yorker, are you?"

"Is it that obvious?" Regina blushed. She was trying to keep her heart from breaking free of her rib cage and presenting itself to Emma. The joy and love and fear and so many other emotions had her heart pounding so hard she was sure it might jump free of her chest all on its own.

Emma tilted her head from side to side in thought. "Well… a little." She laughed and nudged Regina, shoulder to shoulder. "It's ok. Nothing to be ashamed of. I'm not really from here either. I just put on a better show than you do. So, are you in town on business? Pleasure? Should I mind my own business?"

Regina shrugged. She wasn't sure exactly how to answer the question so that Emma's superpower wouldn't detect a lie. "Let's just say… I am looking for a… _friend_ I haven't heard from in a while." That seemed close enough to the truth.

Emma's green eyes widened curiously. "Ahhh, so did you and your 'friend' have a fight?" Emma even made little air quotes around the word friend and Regina wasn't really sure why.

"No. Not a fight exactly. But I guess her family misses her and I… I want her to come home." That was the most truthful thing Regina could say about it.

"But does she want to come back home? If she left you, maybe she thinks it's over between you." Emma watched her closely. "If you don't mind my saying."

Regina frowned. "Over between us? What… do you think… wait. Do you think I'm talking about more than a friend?"

Emma shrugged and nodded toward the crowded bar behind her. "I mean, yeah. Aren't you?"

Regina's eyes scanned the darkened room. Every single patron was a woman. The dance floor was covered in ladies with their bodies pressed together. Each table and booth was surrounded by women laughing, talking, touching… and a few kissing. Regina swallowed, realizing where she was and what Emma was assuming.

"No. We… we were just friends." Regina shook her head. Green eyes seemed skeptical. "Honestly Emma, my friend was and is just my friend. Purely platonic friend."

Emma tapped her pink lips with her index finger. "My superpower says you are lying but—again—it's none of my business. But you are lying… aren't you?"

Regina sighed and looked back at the dance floor. These women seemed so at ease, so free. She longed for that sort of freedom. "Well, we did spend the night together—once. But that isn't why I am here."

"Once? Ok. And is your friend… mentally deficient in some way? Physically impaired?" Emma turned on her bar stool more fully toward Regina.

The brunette wasn't sure what in the world Emma meant and her scrunched face must have conveyed that message to the blonde. Emma laid a hand on the back of Regina's barstool and answered her unspoken query. "I ask because she'd have to be crazy or blind to have left you behind."

Heat raced through Regina's body and pinked her cheeks. Emma was unashamedly flirting with her… a total stranger. The idea was equal parts exhilarating and infuriating. The heat of the blush became a flame of jealousy. Who else had Emma flirted with in this bar? Maybe even taken home?

"I'm sorry." Emma said when Regina went on staring at her. "Was that too much? Sometimes my mouth gets ahead of my brain. I didn't mean to upset you."

Regina shook her head softly and sucked her bottom lip between her teeth. "No, Emma. I'm not upset. I just… didn't realize… It's been a long time since a beautiful woman flirted with me. You were flirting, weren't you?"

Now it was Emma's turn to blush. She dropped her hand from the stool and dropped her eyes to her own lap. "Yeah. That was me flirting. I'm not great at it."

Green eyes looked up at brown and they sat in silence again, the music loud around them. Emma was the first to look away, peeling at the label on her beer.

"So, in town looking for a friend. Allow me to apologize on behalf of the city for the jack-ass who chased you in here. Though I admit I am glad he did."

"So am I." Regina breathed. She was endlessly happy to have come in and found the blonde with such ease.

"You know, I have never had a problem with anyone until today and I've been here for a year." Emma tilted her head back to Regina.

"Oh?" The brunette sipped on her martini, the liquid coating her tongue and relaxing her.

"Yeah. This morning, I was cooking breakfast for me and the kid and this guy came banging on the door. I thought he was a singing telegram or something because he was in costume… leather, eye-liner, the whole bit. But then the son of a bitch kissed me!" Emma was animated in her retelling, motioning with her hands.

"Leather and… did you say eye-liner?" Regina could hardly believe what she was hearing.

"Yeah. Like emo boy-band level eye-liner. Or like… a pirate! Regular Captain Jack, you know? So he kissed me and I kneed him in the crotch. Bastard all but fell down in the hall way saying something about my family needing me. God! It was ridiculous. I don't even have a family except my kid. So, I guess today is the day for men to act like entitled assholes."

Regina heard her but her mind was reeling. Was Hook here? In New York? Of course he was. Had the idiot really thought he and Emma would share True Love's Kiss in the Land Without Magic? Idiot.

"Well, that… is quite a story, Emma. Were you and you?"

"Oh sure, I know how to take care of myself. He was more a nuisance that anything." Emma grinned proudly. "I teach a self-defense class on Thursday nights, you know."

Regina felt herself relaxing. How wonderful it would be to forget about Storybrooke, to forget about Evil Queens and curses and just stay in this bar with Emma, or her apartment with their son, forever.

_But Caroline…_

She smiled and gave a wink. "No, I did not know that about you, Emma." She laid her hand on Emma's knee, squeezing lightly and pulling it away. What harm could flirting do?

Emma inhaled deeply and leaned back, her manner clearly teasing. "Oh, there's a lot you don't know about me, Regina Mills."

"So, tell me." Regina said, motioning to Spark for another martini.

"Well, what do you want to know?"


End file.
